This weeklong package includes a set of healthy, hand-prepared dinners for two people over five nights. Choose from guilt-free menu options like Chesapeake crab cakes with fresh vegetables, roasted chicken cordon bleu with wild mushroom, and fresh catch with a mustard-tarragon glaze. This team of professional chefs ships entrées -- always fresh, never frozen -- nationwide that are nutritionally-balanced and trans fat-free. You're saving yourself grueling kitchen work with this glorious deal. Buy now!

05/30/2012

If you're overweight and unmotivated to change your life drastically, just make a tiny change.

You're not alone. There are more overweight people today than ever before, as a percentage of our population and in sheer numbers. I've been overweight (65 pounds heavier than I am today) and I know that it doesn't feel good.

I also know that when we're overweight, we often go into denial. We think it's not a problem, or that we're not that unhealthy, or that it's something we can fix later. Or more likely, we try hard not to think about it. But it's there, at the back of our minds if nowhere else, making us feel bad about ourselves and our lives, influencing the rest of what we do.

If it were just a body-image thing, I'd say learn to love your body - and I believe that. Forget the cover models on magazines, the perfect people on TV and in movies. They're just being used to sell us stuff, but the result is that we get bad body images for not having rock-hard abs. Forget about that. What worries me, though, about friends and family who are overweight is their health - having a big belly puts you at risk of heart disease, diabetes and other similar problems.

Scary stuff.

But how do you start getting healthier and fitter? How do you change a whole slew of habits, from eating too much to eating fried and sweet and fatty foods to drinking sodas and sweet coffee drinks to being sedentary?

You make one change. A tiny little one.

For me, it started with quitting smoking (which is a big change), but then I took up running (starting with just 10 minutes), and then I started changing my diet in little ways.

One small change leads to another, forming a spiral of success. But you don't need to worry about all the other changes you're going to make later.

What Change To Start With

Really, you could start with almost any positive change. What matters is that you start.

But if you'd like a recommendation, here are a few:

1. Eat more veggies. Go to the store today and buy a basket of veggies. Eat them raw as snacks (dip in hummus if you like, not fatty dressings), steam them as side dishes for lunch and dinner, puree them and put them into your usual recipes, eat a salad before your meal. You can start with just one of these changes, and slowly add more veggies each week. This is an easy change but it's actually huge - more fibre, more vitamins and minerals, fewer calories equals leaner you.

2. Walk. Best exercise ever. Just walk for 10 minutes to start with. Get a friend or your significant other to walk with you and enjoy the conversation. Enjoy nature. After you've gotten used to walking, try intervals: 3 minutes of fast walking, 3 minutes of conversational walking, repeat.

3. Drink water. People drink too many calories - soda, beer, smoothies, mochas, frappucinos, shakes, juice, Gatorade. None of those are necessary. Get used to drinking water, which is refreshing, delicious and healthy.

4. Get rid of the junk. This is actually a bit of a drastic change but it makes a really big difference. Take all the junk food in your house (chips, pastries, ice cream, cookies, prepared foods of any kind, fried foods) and toss them. Clean out your fridge and pantry. Buy fruits, veggies, nuts and beans instead, and try some new flavorful recipes. If the junk isn't around, it won't tempt you.

How to Make That One Change

You've picked your one small change ... but how do you get started?

Just take the first small step. Nothing huge or scary. Just a really, really easy one.

Make a list of your favorite veggies, or set a time today to stop at the grocery store for veggies (later try a farmer's market). Or find a recipe or two that incorporates veggies.

Set a time to walk today or tomorrow. Talk to your spouse about walking together. Get your walking shoes ready. Any of these steps will do - just do one.

Fill a thermos with water. Buy a reusable water bottle. Get rid of the sodas in your fridge. Choose one of these.

Get a garbage bag and toss your junk food.

Choose one, and do it. Celebrate (in your mind, not with a sweet treat). Do another small tiny easy step. Celebrate again. Tell people about the changes you're making. Do another tiny step. Celebrate some more.

05/16/2012

Are you ready for summer? Robert Snyder and his wife, Personal Chef To Go Fans, are getting there! Robert writes:

"We have been using PCTG since January 2012 and we love it. We love everything about this product and service. Taste, convenience, recycling, it can be found with PCTG. Started with PCTG after extensive research with similar products and am glad we got it right on the first one we tried. Best of all PCTG has been a big part of the weight loss plan that my wife and I started this year. I've gone from a 36 waist to a 33. I haven't been in 33 pants since 1988. It really works. We can afford PCTG and a personal trainer 2 times per week for what we were spending eating out. So we are saving money as well."

So, are you ready to bare all this summer? If you are like most of us, you want to shed a few pounds, eliminate some cellulite, and feel good in your bathing suit. I am here to help you get your body ready for the summer heat so you can enjoy your summer. Here are some simple tips to help you get ready for summer.

Hit the stairs. Instead of taking the elevator, you can burn calories by taking the stairs up and down whenever you have the chance. You will burn a lot of calories just by bypassing the elevator. Give it a shot.

Pack your lunch. Instead of going out to lunch, pack a lunch or take a Personal Chef To Go meal with you to work and you will have more control over how many calories you consume. A Personal Chef To Go meal or salad is a well balanced lunch with plenty of proteins and vegetables.

Eat at least 5 times a day. That's right, five times a day, but not five huge meals a day. Try to eat like a bird which means eating several times a day. Digestion burns calories, and you are less inclined to overeat if you are not starving when it's time to eat. Pack some snacks to eat between meals. This is my favorite way to actually lose weight because I love to eat, but if I wait until I am starving to eat, I ALWAYS overeat.

Don't park to close to the stores entrance. Most people drive around and around to get a close parking spot when going to work or shopping. Get in the habit of parking far away and walking. The fact is, you can't get lean by being lazy, sorry, but that is the truth. In addition, you will save a few dings on your vehicle.

Walk faster. You can dramatically increase how many calories you burn by simply walking faster. Don't be afraid to pass up those slow walkers and show them how it's done!

Drink more water. Not only is it good for you, but it will also keep you feeling full without the calories. Not only will it keep you full, but it will also help you allow you flush toxins out of your body. I know its cliche, but carry a bottle of water (preferably a BPA free reusable bottle) with you and drink often. Beware, you will be hitting the bathroom often.

Start a garden. If you have always wanted to start a garden, now is the time to do it. And no, don't hire anyone to do it for you, get out there and do it yourself. Not only will you have vegetables and fruits that will be fresh and not contain any pesticides, but you will also burn tons of calories doing it. It is a win win situation. Plus, gardening is fun and nothing is as nice as eating the food you have grown yourself.

Use free weights instead of machines. Instead of using the machines, workout with free weights. Unlike machines, you must lift weights to load and unload the bars and you also have to pick up and put back the weights. This increases the calories you burn because it increase the work you are having to perform. Instead of just changing the pin, you must actually move weights when working with free weights. By the way, free weights are not more dangerous than machines.

Clean the house. Cleaning the house will burn a lot of calories. Think about all the work that goes into doing the dishes and vacuuming the floors. Every time you move your body you are increasing the amount of calories you are burning. There is always something to clean, so quit putting it off and get to those chores you have been wanting to do.

Lay off the soda and juice. Soda is a can full of empty calories and offers absolutely no nutritional value. Cut back your soda intake to at least once a week if you must have soda. Same goes for the juice.

By following these simple steps, you will be able to burn tons of calories and tighten up your body for summer. Although these tips may seem self evident, many people do not realize how effective these tips are. If you follow them, you will be ready for this summer.

05/09/2012

When you buy a $100 Personal Chef To Go Gift Card, we will send $100 to the person you are buying for and a $25 Gift Card to you free! Your $25 Gift Card can be assigned and given to anyone you desire, including yourself.

To purchase gift cards, add them to your cart. If at any point you have questions or would like more information, contact us . Our experienced staff will be happy to help you!

Hurry, There's Still Time To Order Our Mother's Day Special!

Your mother, your mother-in-law, your grandmother, moms to be, and your loving wife will certainly be pleased to receive a gift of time with gourmet meals from Personal Chef To Go. Our healthy, gourmet meals are sure to tell her just how special she is. So why not spoil any one, or all of them with a gift of Personal Chef To Go. Time is running out, so place your orders now!

Not only is it a great deal, mom will get her freshly prepared meals in quantities she can carry into the house and have enough room to store in her freezer. Sometimes she might have some of her friends over for dinner, too. When she makes her order, she can always consider what her friends like as well.

From the menu, to the price, to the size of the order, and the approval of mom and her friends, you can't possibly go wrong this Mother's Day.

If you want to let your mom pick out her own meals, we highly recommend our buying a Gift Cardby Sunday, May 13th and we'll add a $25.00 on every order of $100.00.

But as much as you'll love sending Mom meals, she'll love Mother's Day flowers, too.

The First Lady of Food

She was the second-most-famous woman in America after Eleanor Roosevelt and you all know her or have at least heard her mentioned by your mother or grandmother. You have eaten her food and may have one of her books on your shelf and refer to it for Old Time Favorites, Company Best or Holiday Specials. For more than 80 years, products with her name have helped families create healthy, delicious and convenient meals, and her recipes are a tradition for the beginning cook all the way to the seasoned chef. She is a brand name and a trademark of American food and what America is looking for today.

Known as the First Lady of Food, her name is Betty Crocker. Helping women on the home front, she signifies home-cooked meals that the family, together, sits down to enjoy. Thinking of Betty Crocker reminds me of "Mom and apple pie" and all the good things in life, and this is truly what America is craving--good food enjoyed with family and friends. But who has the time to spend countless hours planning, shopping and preparing meals like Betty Crocker did?

Interestingly, Betty (a warm and friendly name) was an invented persona and mascot, created by the Washburn Crosby Company (now General Mills) in 1921 out of a need to give personalized responses to thousands of consumer baking questions. The surname Crocker was taken from a retired company executive, William H. Crocker. In 1924, she acquired a "voice" with the radio debut known as The Betty Crocker Cooking School of the Air, one of the longest-running food programs in radio broadcast history. In the height of her popularity she received 4,000 to 5,000 letters a day--including some marriage proposals! In 1936, Betty Crocker was given a face, and over the last 75 years it has changed multiple times to reflect the persona of the current American women.

The reality is, for many of us, Betty Crocker exists only as a memory of an era long past. Time is crunched and less is set aside for meal planning and preparation. Understanding the demands on women today, Personal Chef To Go, like Betty Crocker, offers help for women on the home front. Offering ready-made home-cooked meal selections that can be enjoyed by family and friends, Personal Chef To Go is a trademark of what America is looking for today.

If reading this article triggers a sense of nostalgia and a desire to create meals like Grandmother used to make, don't spend time you know you don't have to go looking for your Betty Crocker cookbook and dreaming of making the perfect meal. Just call Personal Chef To Go!

"Make sure you wear clean underwear in case you get in an accident and have to go to hospital."

Genetics

"You're just like your father."

"I don't know who you get that from."

Life

"I don't know is not an answer."

"I know it's not fair, life's not fair."

"If Bobby jumped off a bridge, would you jump off the bridge?"

"We had to make our own fun as children."

"Why? Because I SAID SO, that's why."

"When I was your age..."

Mom always had something to say, and in her own way, she was truly teaching us, whether we thought so or not. If we take the time to think about it, Mom probably taught us more than every teacher we ever had combined. Mom may not have thought so, but we know she did.

Unfortunately, we forget to tell Mom "thank you" often enough for all she's ever done for us. This Mother's Day say "thank you" with a gift from Personal Chef To Go.

To help you with your Personal Chef To Go gift giving, we'll add a FREE $25.00 Gift Card to your Mother's Day order of $100.00. That's right, $25.00 dollars FREE!

Treat yourself or include the Gift Card with your Mother's Day gift purchase, either way it's a great gift and a great deal! Choose from either an E-card or a Mailed Gift Card for more details and to place your order now! Give the gift of delicious and healthy meals and let our chefs pamper Mom with a delicious heart-healthy menu that says "I care enough to send the gift of heart-warming meals".!